October 4th
by SuzumeUchiha2154
Summary: When the deafening sound of a gunshot resonates through the night, her life is changed forever. When she watches her first love collapse into a collecting pool of his own blood, she shatters. Oneshot. ShinjiroxOC


**Greetings, my lovely readers~ **

**This is my very first Persona 3 oneshot, so please bear with me. This oneshot includes my OC, Kaida Ohayashi. If you simply cannot stand OC's, then refrain from reading it. I do believe that this oneshot is pretty bad, myself, but my best friend about had a spasm over it and has been pestering me to upload it. So... here it is! Enjoy~**

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October 4th: It was a date that would be eternally engraved into my mind. That day was upon us, but I didn't know for sure if anyone seemed to realize it. Aki, Shinji, and Ken… I think they were the only ones who bothered to realize it. After all, it affected them the most.

And if I myself had been attentive enough, I would have noticed Ken and Shinji's absence. And I would have known that Ken was going to fulfill his goal of avenging his mother.

We all gathered in a pack, and ventured upstairs to the command room, the feeling in the air almost awkward and tense. I opened the door, and we all filed into the command room.

Yukari looked around. "Huh? There's no one here."

Junpei nodded. "Anyway… why was Akihiko-san acting so weird?" he piqued. "What's so special about today's date?"

I choked on remorse, placing a hand on Junpei's shoulder to gain his attention. He turned to me with a question mark on his face. I knew Mitsuru would react when I decided to reveal why today was such a sensitive topic of discussion. I sighed, opening my mouth to speak.

"Today… is October the fourth," I explained, and I saw Mitsuru's eyes dilate in realization. "Something very… terrible happened on this day, two years ago."

"Oh my gosh… I was so caught up in the operation that I didn't realize it…" Mitsuru said, almost shamefully. "This is the day Amada's mother was killed!"

Junpei gasped. "Whoa, you serious?"

Mitsuru turned to Fuuka with urgency. "Yamagishi, I need you to find the two of them immediately," she ordered. "There's a good chance they're together. Akihiko must have already realized that…"

Fuuka nodded, panic obvious on her petite face. "I-I understand," she stuttered. Fuuka dashed to the other side of the room, and summoned Lucia. Her Persona appeared in a sudden flash, and Fuuka went straight to work.

Yukari's eyes darted between me and Mitsuru in confusion. "Umm… what's going on?"

Mitsuru drew her gaze away from the younger girl, and she held her forearm like she always did when she was panicked or solemn.

"Although her death was officially listed as an accident…," Mitsuru hesitantly began. "We were the ones who killed her."

A wave of tension swept through the room, and a shocked gasp was shared between all the members of SEES.

"It was two years ago," I said, joining Mitsuru in the explanation. "We weren't conscious of the people around us. We were pursuing a Shadow in a populated area."

"Even though we were in a residential area, we cared about only the Shadow," Mitsuru continued, clutching her forearm tighter. "Aragaki was still new, and he lost control of his power…"

My tear ducts threatened to overflow, but I fought back. I didn't want to cry in front of them. "And… when Shinji lost all control…," I muttered. "He killed Amada's mother on accident."

There was a short silence. Junpei's eyes were wider than saucers. "Wow… are you guys shittin' me?"

"Then… to Ken-kun, Senpai is…," Yukari trailed off, in thought. I could tell she knew.

"Amada volunteered to join us…," Mitsuru said. "But, now that I think about it…"

Fuuka's voice suddenly resonated throughout the small command room. "I found them!" she cried. "They're together and another Persona-user is nearby!"

"Is it Akihiko?" Mitsuru asked, anxious.

"No… it's…." Fuuka said, in horror. "It's a member of Strega!"

"That's not good," Junpei pointed out.

Rage and panic circulated through me. "No shit, Junpei!" I shouted, running to Mitsuru. "Mitsuru, we need to find them! It could be Takaya!"

I snatched Mitsuru's hand, and dragged her out of the room. We both tore down the hallway and dashed down the stairs together. The rest of SEES tailed us closely.

Junpei and Yukari were firing questions at us, but neither Mitsuru nor I answered any of them. When we crashed out the doors of the dorm, Fuuka began yelling directions at us as we sprinted down the streets of Iwatodai. I hoped with all my being that both Ken and Shinji were OK.

Somewhere in my heart, I knew Ken wouldn't kill Shinji, but if Takaya was there… both Ken and Shinji could have already been dead. Takaya had that revolver of his… and I distinctly remembered the horrifying sound of him popping the trigger...

I continued to fight back tears, because losing the one I truly loved was the last thing I wanted to happen. I'd known Shinjiro since I was small, and I wasn't ready to cease knowing him. We shared so many memories, whether they were good or bad. When my parents disowned me, Shinji was there. When I got into those gang fights, Shinji was there for me too. And when I was in the hospital all those times, he was always there to save me. Shinjiro Aragaki was my best friend.

"Fuuka, how close are we?" I called back to her. "Are we almost there?"

"Yes, just a little further!" she yelled to me. "We have to hurry!"

I wasted no time. I broke away from the group, and honed the running skills I'd accumulated from the track team. My heart was racing and my adrenaline levels were off the charts. I was hopeful that we'd somehow get there in time.

But my hope dwindled, when a gunshot echoed through the night.

My heart stopped. I released an enraged scream of agony, and I turned at the corner of an alleyway… and saw Shinji crouching in a pool of his own blood.

"SHINJI!" I screamed, stumbling over to his bleeding form. "No, no, NO! Damn it! Shinji!"

I pressed my hand against the gunshot wound, causing him to grunt in pain. I needed to stop the bleeding, though. Just by looking at him, I knew he was already losing too much blood. I drew my Evoker, ready to cast Dia, but he grasped my wrist weakly and pushed the Evoker out of my hand. It crashed to the concrete below us, and I stared up at him in question.

"Don't…, it's too late now," he coughed, blood streaming down the corners of his mouth. "Don't bother, Kaida."

"B-But…," I stuttered, holding his face in my hands. "Stop being stupid! Shinji, you're dying!"

"It doesn't matter now."

The rest of SEES turned the corner of the alleyway, and they all gasped when they spotted Shinji. Everyone ran to us in desperation. Aki and Fuuka fell to their knees beside us. Aki turned to me, gently taking my wrists in his hands.

"Give him some space, Kaida," he said quietly. "He needs to breathe. Come on, Shinji, hang in there!"

Shinji coughed again, and stared up at Ken. "Ken…," he muttered. "Why the long face? Isn't this… what you wanted? It's alright. Give yourself some time. Let you anger become your strength. You're still just a kid, Ken. You've got your whole life ahead of ya. So don't waste it… make it your own, OK?"

Ken's gaze was downcast, and his entire body was convulsing. "But… I-I…"

Shinji turned to Aki. "Aki… make sure you and Kaida take care of him."

Aki choked on un-fallen tears, and he nodded. "W-We will."

I clutched onto Aki's shoulder, fighting my tears. It was becoming difficult, though, seeing Shinji in the state that he was in. Shinji was likely… going to die tonight, and I knew it. But what really tore at my heart, was that I could do absolutely nothing about it. I was completely powerless, and I'd promised Shinji that I'd protect him when we were both kids, no matter the circumstance. We'd both promised…

Shinji reached up and took my hand in his; squeezing it with all the strength he could muster. "Don't cry… Kaida," he muttered, clutching my hand tighter. "This is… how it should be."

"No! D-Don't do this, Shinji!" I cried, releasing his hand. I broke away from Aki and wrapped my arms protectively around his limp shoulders. I didn't care about the blood. I just wanted my Shinji. "You're going to live, you ass hole! You promised!"

Shinjiro held me, but pushed me away when he broke into a coughing fit. He brought his hand to his mouth and blood splashed onto his open palm. When his coughing ceased, he began to gasp, struggling to fill his lungs with air. He was choking on the blood caught in his throat.

"The hospital…w-we need to get him to the hospital!" Fuuka yelled urgently.

"Yes, quickly…!" Mitsuru exclaimed.

"How could we get him to the hospital…?" I said bitterly. "Look around you."

Mitsuru opened her mouth to reply, but she surrendered, and dipped her head in defeat. "That's… right. It's the Dark Hour. Until it ends… the doctors won't be…"

"No!" Yukari yelled. "Then is he not going to make it?"

Shinji didn't stop gasping or coughing, but I clung to him as gently as I could. Everyone was gaping at me with concerned, yet dumbfounded looks on their faces. I'd never shown this kind of weakness to them before. Only Aki and Shinji knew this side of me.

I always put on this tough-girl mask, making it seem like I was completely apathetic to the people and world around me. At school, people saw me as the girl who acted and dressed like a guy. Some thought I was lesbian. I had numerous piercings, and my hair was almost as short as Aki's. I refused to show my legs or arms, because I feared people might be disgusted by my scars. I always wore a bandage over my left eye, because under it was something so grotesque… That's just who I was, but people are judgmental beyond belief.

As Mitsuru and the others were panicking over whether Shinji was going to make it, Ken abruptly fell to his knees. The young boy looked to the sky, and released an ear-splitting shriek of agony. Heavy tears streamed down his pale cheeks and he continued to scream as Shinji continued to struggle for air.

Fuuka crouched down next to SEES's youngest member, and wrapped her arms around him in a futile attempt to console him. He buried his face against her chest, and she stoked his head gently.

"We have to hurry," Mitsuru said, trying to regain her commanding, orderly composure. "Yamagishi, you'll have to carry Amada-kun. Akihiko, you and Junpei will have to carry Shinjiro. The Dark Hour may not be over yet, but we can still make it to the hospital and wait for morning to come."

Fuuka nodded obediently and scooped Ken into her arms. Junpei and Aki obeyed and took either of Shinji's arms and wrapped them around their shoulders. They heaved Shinji off the ground, and we all began our journey to the hospital. Ken eventually calmed down, and his cries were reduced to sorrowful hiccups and sniffles. Shinji wasn't able to breathe on his own. At a certain point, Shinji succumbed to darkness, and he fell unconscious. Aki and I had taken turns attempting to resuscitate him, but he wouldn't wake up.

"Aki, he isn't coming back!" I shouted, lifting my lips away from Shinji's. "Does he still have a heart beat?"

Aki placed his head over Shinji's chest, his eyes panicked for a moment. His features softened about a minute later.

"He still has a heart beat!" he exclaimed. "He's still alive, but we have to hurry. Junpei, help me!"

Junpei immediately took Shinji's right arm and threw it over his shoulder. Aki did the same with Shinji's left arm, and we continued our journey to the hospital. The Dark Hour was quickly fading, and the first lights of the morning were emerging. I continued to check Shinji's chest cavity for a heartbeat. It never stopped, but he wasn't regaining consciousness.

What if… he never woke up?

I shook my head furiously, and pushed that thought into the back of my mind. I refused to believe that he'd die. He _would_ live. I _wouldn't_ let him die.

When we arrived at the hospital, the Dark Hour had passed and the doctors were accepting patients again. They admitted Shinji to a room immediately. I tried to follow them as they rolled Shinji away on a stretcher, but a doctor kept me back as they pushed him into the OR.

"Ma'am, nobody is allowed back there while they perform emergency surgery," the doctor said, holding my shoulders. "Please, stay out here."

I attempted to push past him in desperation. Aki came up behind me, and restrained me.

"NO!" I screamed, thrashing in Aki's grip. "AKI, LET ME GO!"

"Kaida, stop!" he ordered, holding me against his chest. "They're going to help him! You need to calm down."

"But—What if he—?"

"KAIDA!" Aki shouted, holding my face in his hands. "Stop it. He's going to be fine. You should know that he doesn't give up without a fight."

I stared up at him angrily, tears glistening in my visible eye. But my anger faded, and I collapsed into his arms.

Aki carried me back to the lobby and held me for what seemed like an eternity. I sat in his lap, struggling to contain my tears, and all he could do was stroke my short hair and trace comforting circles on my back. No one spoke a word as we all sat in that hospital lobby.

"Aki, what if he doesn't make it?" I muttered.

Aki hushed me, and looked me straight in the eye. "Shinji isn't going to die," he proclaimed. "He's going to fight this. He's going to live."

"O-OK…," I whispered, sighing heavily. "If you say so…"

The silence continued, when a doctor came out into the lobby. He signaled for all of us to follow him into the hallway. Akihiko lifted me off of his chest gently, but kept my hand entwined with his. A big brother… that's really what he felt like. He was always there when I needed it most. He wasn't as committed as Shinji… but that's what gave him the brotherly feeling. I loved him so much. He and Shinji were my life-long childhood friends.

The doctor was an older man, his eyes dull and his skin already sagging slightly from old age. His face was solemn.

He took a deep breath. "We extracted the bullet from his chest," he began. "But…"

"What? What is it?" I urged. "Is he going to be OK?"

"Well, it could have been much worse," he said, pulling something out of his coat pocket. "This pocket watch stopped the bullet."

"Shinji's watch…? So, what's the problem, then?" Aki piqued, his hands balling into fists. "Shouldn't he be fine, now?"

"He _should_ be OK…," the doctor trailed off. "But he lost so much blood… and as far as we can tell, there are no signs of recovery of consciousness. He's… as good as dead. I'm very sorry."

I was the first to react. After so long, I finally allowed my tear ducts to overflow, and I felt my eyes glaze up with moisture. I smashed my fist against the wall furiously, and released an agonized cry of complete rage and pain.

"DAMN IT!" I shrieked, holding my head angrily. "WHY HIM? WHY?"

I heard all of the team members gasp at my sudden outburst. I had never cried in front of anyone, except for Shinji and Aki. And, the last time I'd allowed anyone to see me was when I was merely a child . But now, I wasn't able to hold back the tears. They came in rivers, flowing out of my green eyes and down my pale cheeks.

I felt a pair of arms envelope me from behind, and I already knew it was Aki. I spun around, burying my face in his chest. He seemed taken aback for a moment, but quickly draped his arms around my small shoulders. He hushed me, and embraced me tightly.

Just like earlier that night… no one spoke a word while I wept into Aki's chest. I felt so much sorrow and pain… and guilt. I had never felt this way before in my entire existence.

And… as I soaked Aki's red vest with my heavy tears, I heard my Persona Tatsu whimpering from within my psyche.

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**And... that's it! Yeah, I pretty much died a little on the inside when I wrote this. But also, I was already feeling depressed when I wrote it... so, it WAS depression that compelled me to produce this piece of garbage. **

**But ANYWAY, please remember to read and review! Reviews are extremely appreciated~ **

**And don't forget to provide me with feedback. I may write a full-length fanfic with Kaida in it, but I need some motivation. Also, go check out my other fanfic. It has only one chapter, because I haven't received any reviews for it or positive feedback. Thank you~**

**Have a FANTABULOUS DAY, MY LOVELY READERS**


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